Nurturing Innovation with Community Spaces

The Community and Sustainability Centre (UMCares) has recently launched a competition that promotes innovation amongst high school students called Do It Yourself Made Simple – Innovate and Decorate.

The competition is opened to students where the task is to redesign public spaces in charitable organizations such as orphanages, homes for the disabled, and childcare centres. A total of seven schools participated in the competition where the newly built spaces are expected to be aesthetically pleasing and useful to the residents or users of the facilities. The students will receive guidance and mentorship from the academic staff of UM’s Faculty of Built Environment. Materials will be generously sponsored by a local home improvement retail chain store, Mr. DIY Trading Sdn. Bhd. Furthermore, this program has also secured sponsorship from the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association.

UMCares believes that involving students is the first step in promoting innovation among schoolchildren and with the guidance and mentorship from the experts, it will further cultivate and nurture an innovative and creative environment. Interestingly, the team will be working alongside with some of the residents of the centres themselves. With team members comprising different backgrounds, passions and capabilities, the UMCares believe this will help greatly to cultivate creativity.

Attractive prices await the winners and these include cash prizes up to RM 4500, DIY vouchers, certificates and a UM Tropical Camp package.